Many Americans spend a great deal of money when they purchase a car. Mainly this is because they finance their purchase.
When you borrow money to buy something that loses value, this is a bad idea. And nearly all cars do lose value over time.
A car is conveyance, meant to get you from place to place. And pretty much all cars depreciate. It’s not smart to pay interest on something that is worth less and less, you end up wasting money. Follow these rules instead to make a wise purchase the next time you need a car:
Don’t finance. You are probably going to want more car than you can afford. At car dealerships, there is a loan officer there ready to help us get this car anyhow.
Our purchase gets mixed up with emotion, because we often become very attached to cars and want a nice one that we think will show us in a good light. Loan officers know this. Often, loan terms are harsh with high interest and bad terms. At the end of the financing period you’ve spent far more on the car than what the original sale price was.
No leasing. If you wanted to buy a house, you wouldn’t rent an apartment instead would you? It would still give you a place to live, but would be a waste of money. Leasing a car is just renting a car, but over a period of years rather than days or weeks. The dealership will also add cost to the leasing agreement to cover the damage they expect you’ll do to the car.
It’s a bad bet. You pay top dollar, for a car and for damage you may not even do to it, and in the end you have nothing to show for your money.
Don’t get a new car. A car that is new sells for a hefty premium just by virtue of not being preowned. This value – the ‘newness’ – disappears the moment that you buy the car. It can never again be sold as new. This is why the car depreciates the very moment you drive it off the lot. You’re losing value before you even get your new purchase home.
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